I want you to know that just because we have to kiss each other doesn’t mean I like you.

[diamondcutter]

We peeked through the curtains in the multipurpose room and saw all the parents were there. ... We were waiting for the curtain to open when Andrea pulled me aside.
“A,J.,” she said, “I want you to know that just because we have to kiss each other doesn’t mean I like you.”

Mr. Hynde Is Out of His Mind! Dan Gutman

I’d like to know what’s the subject of “doesn’t mean” in the last sentence. Is it the clause “because we have to kiss each other”? And can the sentence be reworded like this?

“I want you to know that we have to kiss each other doesn’t mean I like you.”

 

[Glizdka]

I don't think you can simply remove just because. I can't exactly tell why, but your sentence sounds like the speaker wants to inform the person that kissing each other is obligatory, and that's it.

"I want you to know that we have to kiss each other."

This sounds like a complete thought. Adding anything after that part sounds unexpected and ungrammatical.

The original sentence, with just because, sounds like the speaker is not informing the person that kissing each other is obligatory; it sounds like they're assuming that both of them are aware it is, and they're simply explaining what the implication of that known by both parties fact is(n't).

If you don't like just because here, perhaps gerundifying the verb should do the trick.

"I want you to know that having to kiss each other doesn't mean I like you."

 

[diamondcutter]

I should have said something more about the context.

Andrea and A.J. (a boy) were two second graders and were doing a play called Beauty and Beast. Andrea was Beauty and A.J. was Beast. In the play, they had to kiss each other but they hated each other at school

 

[Tdol]

Your version doesn't work without just because- they are doing something that normally implies some emotional attachment, but which doesn't here because it is part of a play. Glizda's version does work, but I'd use the original.